SUPPORT FOR ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE
WIND ENERGY PRODUCTION

WHEREAS last year wind energy added nearly half of all new power capacity
in America; and

WHEREAS this metric is proof that the renewable energy sector is capable
of boosting economic growth while enhancing our energy supply; and

WHEREAS when it comes to America’s energy future, we should be doing
everything we can to generate as much of our power from domestic sources as
possible; and

WHEREAS, America needs a secure and diverse supply of home-grown energy
resources to power the nation; and

WHEREAS the Center for American Progress, the Clean Energy States
Alliance, the Sierra Club, and the U.S. Offshore Wind Collaborative
commissioned a study from the Brattle group to investigate the costs and
benefits of developing commercial-scale offshore wind industry and found there
is great value in investing in offshore wind energy development; and

WHEREAS despite this booming expansion of onshore renewable energy
facilities, the United States still lags industrialized countries when it comes
to development of an offshore wind industry; and

WHEREAS, America’s cities, with their complex infrastructure, are major
consumers of power; and

WHEREAS, America’s cities need new sources of job growth to reduce high
unemployment rates that persist in many of the nation’s urban areas; and

WHEREAS the Obama Administration has expressed its intention to close the
gap in offshore wind capacity by developing 54 gigawatts of offshore wind
capacity by 2030 – more than 10 times the amount currently installed worldwide
– and has begun taking proactive steps to achieve this target; and

WHEREAS, the development of the wind energy industry including, the
offshore wind energy industry, has great potential to become a new sector that
can add billions of dollars to the U.S. economy and employ tens of thousands of
highly-skilled, local workers; and

WHEREAS, the role of wind energy continues to grow, having provided 42% of
all new U.S. power capacity last year – more than any other energy source; and

WHEREAS, wind energy is developing an impressive record of job creation
with fully 92% of wind turbines installed in the U.S. last year built by
companies with manufacturing facilities in the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, the Obama Administration and Congress recently agreed to an
extension of the wind energy production tax credit which is vital to the
long-term growth of the wind energy industry,

NOW
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The
U.S. Conference of Mayors supports greater federal, state and local investment
in the development of wind energy; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports a continuation of the
wind energy production tax credit for as long as necessary to secure the
long-term viability of the domestic wind energy industry, including the
offshore wind energy industry.